Another exam disaster looms
Baboki Kayawe | Thursday August 27, 2015 17:12
This is a joint resolution by the Botswana Teachers Union (BTU) and Botswana Sectors of Educators’ Trade Union (BOSETU) following Tuesday’s nationwide consultations on the matter.
BOSETU secretary general Tobokani Rari said in an interview that no agreement was reached as was the case ahead of the 2010 examinations debacle between the unions and the Ministry of Education and Skills Development.
“We would like to put it on record for all to note that currently there is no agreement between the teachers unions and the ministry of education on 2015 course work and invigilation rates, as the 2014 agreement lapsed at end of the same year,” he said.
Rari said teachers were not willing to invigilate and would withhold coursework marks in cases where the work has already been done, as well as discontinue assisting with ongoing coursework.
He said it was suprising that the education ministry was questioning the legality of the sectoral bargaining forum -- where the rates were discussed and agreed -- now, after issues of coursework and invigilation have been negotiated in this setting in the past four years.
He added: “If no agreement is reached between the two parties then the 2010 crisis would not be inevitable. I think these crises are self made, I don’t understand why the ministry likes inviting crisises even in a year where examinations are to run well. We believe the ministry of education has completely mishandled the whole matter.”
Tidimalo Maeletso, the BTU spokesperson, said his union agreed at its conference in July in Maun to neither submit course work marks nor invigilate.
The decision, he said, was meant to send a message that the above mentioned tasks had been pronounced none-teaching duties.
“Our members have been considerate enough to start supervising coursework before such agreement was reached as they were hopeful that the yearly procudure would be followed,” he said.
Maeletso added that in some quarters teachers submited practical work marks but following Tuesday’s consultative meetings, many started witholding them.
To this end, the deadline for the submission of junior certificate examinations agriculture course marks has lapsed. Home economics marks were due on Tuesday while those of design and technology are to be handed over sometime this week. Moderation is expected to start soon, but the standstill is likely to see a recurrence of the 2010 results were some marks were missing and consequently late publication of national exams results, according to Maeletso.
However, two unionists are looking forward to a September 3 meeting which has been called by the education ministry. Both unions have thus far received an inivitation to discuss this matter with minister Unity Dow.
The ministry’s public relations officer, Silas Sehularo, has confirmed that the meeting will be held next Thursday. He would not discuss the coursework and invigilation issue further as “they will form part of the Thursday agenda.”
“That is where we are going to iron out our issues,” said Sehularo.
He added that therafter his office would release a communication on the outcome of the discussions.
In 2009, Justice Mpaphi Phumaphi ruled that overseeing external exams is the work of the Botswana Examinations Council (BEC) and not teachers. Following this judgment, in 2010, government decided it would not engage teachers for course work and invigilation. As a result, the country experienced the worst examination crisis ever in history.
Meanwhile, the standard seven examinations are billed for October 7 to14. Junior certificate examinations will take place from October 19 to November 6. Form five examinations are scheduled for October 5 to November 13.